A rather disturbing claim has been made against the NSW Labor Leader forcing his sudden resignation after an ABC journalist came forward with sexual misconduct claims against him. ABC journalist Ashleigh Raper claims Foley put his hand down her underpants in 2016 at a Christmas Party.

Foley claims the accusations are false, but despite saying he is innocent, he has announced Thursday he will be quitting the post after the statement by Raper was made public in great detail. Raper claims she wanted to "set the record straight" about the incident involving the state opposition leader at the 2016 NSW Parliament Christmas party.

Raper says the incident took place at a bar in Sydney's CBD where he allegedly put his hand down her underpants. The statement says Foley called her on a Sunday after to apologize saying, "I'm not a philanderer, I'm not a groper, I'm just a drunk idiot". He told her in a statement last Sunday that he would resign as leader of the NSW Labor Party by Monday or Wednesday.

Foley then called back on Tuesday to say he would not be resigning because of legal advice. Raper's statement said the incident had been the source of widespread speculation involving Foley putting his hand down the back of her dress at a bar in Martin Place. The event was following the function where politics, their staff, and journalists all mingled at Parliament House.

<a href="http://about.abc.net.au/statements/statement-8-november-2018/">Raper's statement said,</a> "He stood next to me. He put his hand through a gap in the back of my dress and inside my underpants. He rested his hand on my buttocks. I completely froze." She claims she wasn't the only person to witness Foley's behavior, another journalist also witnessed his hand go down her dress but did not make a complaint because of the fear of losing her job and how that would affect her family.

The matter was thought to be in his past, but it resurfaced in Foley's life in October when Liberal minister David Elliott raised it in NSW parliament. "The matter then became a state and federal political issue and resulted in intense media attention. This occurred without my involvement or consent," Elliott said.

Raper herself warns women "should be able to go about their professional lives and socialize without being subject to this sort of behavior. And I want it to stop." ABC put out a statement of their own saying it was "extremely unfortunate" that Raper didn't come forward sooner until she faced pressure from the media and the public to comment on it.

ABC's statement added, "There is absolutely no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Ms. Raper and her career should not be affected in any way."